Same Old Song and Dance
by PuffleHuffWriting
Summary: When her father's ex-boyfriend escapes from Azkaban, Marcelline Lilyanna Lupin learns there is more to her father's quiet life than she ever knew. A tale of love lost, betrayal and family. Past RLxSB, future RLxNT.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I am NOT JK Rowling, I make no money writing fanfics with her beautiful characters.**

* * *

Marci sighed as she looked over her school robes from last year in her mirror, and the length in the sleeves where she'd grown. She had hope this summer would not bring too many more changes to her height and length and that her school clothes would fit another year, but it was no use. She knew her father better than to think he would ever allow her in out in something that was ill-fit to her. There were many things could be said about her father, but Remus Lupin never let his daughter do without.

"Come on out, then." He called from the hall. "Let's see the damage."

"They fit!" She called out the door, her voice as firm as she could possibly be. It was hard to fool him, he always knew when she was lying.

"Marcelline." He grunted back. She shook her head, her dirty blonde hair brushing against her shoulders. Slowly, she opened the door to her bedroom to where her father was standing. He did not seem bothered at all by the obvious need for new outer robes. Thankfully, her skirts, shirts, and ties would all still work and did not need replacing.

"Looks like you've grown at least two inches." He commented, tugging the tail of the robes. "Not too bad."

"Could they be transfigured?" She ask, standing as still as possible as he circled her, measuring. "We could take material from the whole thing, thin it out. Extend the tail and sleeves." She looked hopefully at her father, who looked back with glimmering green eyes that mirrored her own.

"No, ma'am. Then they'd be too thin and wouldn't keep you warm. The castle has too many drafts. You'll need new ones." Remus smiled at the girl, who in turned rolled her eyes. At fourteen years old, she was a tall thin young lady- Who as much as Remus could tell from their limited contact had her mother's smile and nose, and everything else- Including stubborn pride, from him.

"I really don't need new robes, Daddy. Promise." She tried to reason with him, following him down the hall of their small cottage. It had been Remus' mother's childhood home. There were three bedrooms in the small place- More than enough room for the two of them. Remus did not stop as he walked down the hall in search of the list of supplies he'd made for this coming year of Hogwarts. The list was laying on the kitchen counter, and he jotted 'robes' down on the bottom.

"That is for me to decide, Marci." He said firmly, looking over the list, comparing it to her Hogwarts letter for the year. Marci jumped when she heard a knock at their door, but Remus seemed to be expecting something, as he usually did. He had a way of hearing guests walking up the path so the knocking never surprised him. She stood in place until he glanced up from his thinking (and she suspected, his careful calculating of how much it would all cost) and cleared his throat.

"Door, Marci." He said.

"Oh." She blinked, mind still on the argument. "Right." She turned on her heels, her bare feet slapping at the old stone floor as she walked. She had been expecting one of their neighbors to have come by. They were always coming over with 'an overflow of vegetables from the garden, and they simply had too many', or 'my daughter just went off to Uni and doesn't need these clothes anymore' and things of the like, so she was not expecting the Headmaster of Hogwarts to be on the other side of the threshold when she opened the old oak door.

"Headmaster?" She blurted. Dumbledore gave a small bow and smiled gently.

"Good morning, Miss Lupin." He greeted. "Is your father off today?"

"Yes, sir. Come in, sir." She said, leading the older wizard into the kitchen. Remus straighten up the same as any of the students might when Dumbledore walked into the room, but he returned the surprised, yet friendly smile.

"Headmaster!" He greeted, reaching for a handshake. Marcelline, out of habit and years of repeated training, moved over to the stove and readied a pot of tea for the two older wizards while they made conversation at the table. Marci was always told to make tea for guests, because it was simply proper to do so. She tuned out the conversation they were having about some law or other and a woman in the Ministry called Umbridge. Marcelline sat down quietly at the opposite end of the table from her father and his guest, working on a bit of astronomy homework she'd started the night before. She had almost finished her homework for the summer, but astronomy was always her favorite, and in the spirit of 'saving the best for last' she had not quite finished yet. It was, after all, only July twentieth. She had plenty of summer left. She did not bother to pay attention until the sound of a teacup hitting the table, spilling, and then rolling onto the floor where it shattered on impact drew her attention away.

Her father was pale, more than she'd ever seen him before- which was something considering she often played nurse to him after the full moon. His eyes looked off to the far side of the room, as if he was suddenly very interested in the wall, but his breathes were sharp and quick. "I understand how that can be, hearing such news." Dumbledore said quietly, as he removed his own wand from his robes and with one wordless flick of his wrist, cleaned up the broken cup and spilled tea.

"I-" Remus sputtered. "We have to fortify the house." He stood immediately. "How long since this happened?" He yelled back as he walked out the door, Dumbledore following him. Marcelline sat quietly- both scared and confused. To her knowledge, her father only had one enemy- and Fenrir Greyback was supposed to be in chains in Azkaban. She didn't know why he would feel the need to immediately take action to defend their home- But then, she didn't know what could be so bad that Dumbledore would come and deliver the news himself. She cursed herself for doing her homework instead of eavesdropping.

* * *

Remus spent the greater part of the afternoon around their property, putting up several wards, layer upon layer. Marcelline had stayed her distance, not wanting to get in trouble or add to her father's worry. She knew when things were serious and to keep her silence- She'd had years of practice. Dumbledore had stayed, helping put up wards and protective spells- Which Marci had to admit made her feel even safer. She did not know of a living wizard more powerful than Dumbledore. It wasn't until that night at supper- Which Marci had cooked, just trying to be helpful- that she felt it was safe to start asking questions.

"So- What happened?" She said, mixing her rice and carrots together on her plate and melting butter over the pile. Remus pushed his pork around with his fork, and Marci fought back the urge to mock-scold him for playing with his food, as she would have had it been a normal day. He sat quietly, then sighed heavily.

"I know you've been though the boxes in the attic." He said quietly. "So you tell me what you know about when you were a baby, and I'll fill in the rest." He suggested. Marcelline had stiffened at the suggestion she had snooped, even if it was true, but relaxed when she realized she wasn't in trouble.

"You were never in a relationship with my mother, and that is why I don't have one." She said slowly. Remus gave a small nod for her to continue. "Harry Potter's parents, James and Lily, they were my Godparents? And there was two more- A short, kind of chubby man- and another one... Someone else. With dark hair, long. Usually wore the same leather jacket in all the pictures. Always beside you." Again, Remus nodded.

"Peter, the 'chubby' one, was killed the same night as James and Lily. Except not by Voldemort." He watched his daughter cringe at the mention of the so called 'forbidden' name of the dark wizard, but continued on. "And Sirius, the other one. He is who was supposed to keep the location of Lily and James a secret, to keep Harry safe. He betrayed them, us, Peter. He killed poor Peter." His voice was a bit broken. Marci felt uneasy. Her father always seemed to strong to her- going through so much, constantly working and getting her any and everything she needed. He never complained about the pain or exhaustion. He always had time for her, always had a smile. She was troubled by this depression coming through.

"Oh." She said quietly. She waited for him to speak, knowing this was all very important. Remus took several deep breaths before he continued.

"I never really knew when to tell you all of this, but fourteen is pretty mature, especially in your case." He looked up at his daughter and away from his plate. She could see he was fighting himself not to cry. "Sirius- at the time, was my boyfriend." Marcelline's eyes widened slightly, but she adjusted her face before he noticed and continued listening. "It's a much more long and complicated story, but short version is I'm technically bisexual, even though Sirius was the only man I've ever dated." Marci had guess on that, as her father had dated a few women over the years, but never any men.

"Alright." She said quietly.

"Alright?" He ask, a little surprise in his voice. "Really?"

"You raised me to be non-judgmental, so why would I turn on you?" she questioned. Remus smiled at the young girl.

"I love you Marci." He said with a small sniff.

"Love you too, Dad. But really-" She rolled her hands over each other to get him back into the story.

"Right. Guess you want to know it all then, huh?" He ask.

"Just the part about where I came from, because the math isn't working just now." She joked, and got a small laugh from her father as he cleared his throat again.

"The war was hard on everyone- and We were so young, just seventeen when we joined the fight. A couple years in, them other side was starting to get a good foothold on the magical world. Things were horrible- People were turning against each other, life long friends, families- you name it. And we were no different. Sirius was- well I'm not really sure what happened that caused it- But he decided I was on Fenrir's side, and we knew he was with the Death Eaters. They were promised first rate citizenship in exchange for their loyalty, the werewolves. Sirius broke up with me. Threw me out."

"And thats when-"

"I met the women who had you, yes." He said. "Her name was Leslie and last I heard she was living in Canada. She was older than me- about twenty-three, didn't want a child with the chance of being infected lycanthropy, didn't want to 'get rid' of you either- And before you get all soul-searching and hurt- I wanted you from the second she told me she was pregnant. I always wanted a child. I wouldn't trade you on your worst day for anything on the planet." Marci relaxed a bit when he said this.

"Thank you, Daddy." She said in a small, mousy voice.

"Not something you need to thank me for," He replied. Marcelline adjusted in her seat.

"So you made up, then?" She ask. Remus nodded.

"For a bit." He said. "He adored you. So much." Remus said quietly. "Spoiled you every chance he had." Marci blinked at her father, unsure of what to do with this information. "But then, when it came down to it- He turned on us all. Never saw it coming." A tear finally escaped Remus' swimming eyes and ran down his cheek. "James and Lily died, Peter died, several by-standing muggles died. He went insane. I-" He stopped talking and took several more deep breaths. "He escaped Azkaban yesterday."

"Oh fucking hell!" Marcelline said.

"Language, young lady." Remus reminded her. "But yes. It's very, very bad news."

"That's why you went right then to protect the house?" She ask. Remus nodded.

"Yes, Dumbledore wanted to warn us." He confirmed.

"I didn't think anyone could escape Azkaban!" She said, her nerves causing her voice to rise.

"Well, I will say Sirius was a very skilled wizard. I'm not entirely sure how it was done, but knowing him the way I did,he had a knack for escape routes. We knew several secret passages in school- James and he used them for pranks. Well- Peter and I did too, but mostly those two." He seemed to be fond of whatever memory was playing in his mind's eye. He shook his head as he noticed his frightful daughter still waiting for answers.

"There is no way I'll let anything happen to you, Marci." He said in a definitive voice. "Not ever."

"I know." She nodded. "Promise. So is that what the Headmaster was here for?" She ask. Remus nodded.

"Partially." He said. "He had some concerns about how to keep you and Harry Potter both safe. See, Sirius is Harry's Godfather, and they have reason to believe he'd go after him as well."

"But isn't Hogwarts safe?" Marcelline ask. Remus raised an eyebrow to his child.

"Hogwarts? Were you mot paying attention when your defense professor was harboring a disembodied dark wizard on his head? Or a giant snake was traveling the plumbing?! You're lucky I didn't pull you out and send you to Beauxbatons' Academy, young lady." His voice had humor to it, but Marci knew he was serious.

"Fair enough." She said. "So did he have any thoughts as to what would keep us safe?" There was still a hint about her that suggested she was a bit afraid.

"He did." Remus confirmed with a nod. "He had two very solid ideas, really. First, he and the Ministry have decided to post Dementors around the grounds. And don't look at me like that, you know how to handle them." He reminded her.

"I do, but think of the others. Dad- _Think about the first years!_ " She reminded him. Remus tilted his head, squinting his face.

"Better terrified and safe than dead." He said after a moment of thought.

"So what was the other plan?" She ask, finishing up the last bit of food on her plate.

Remus smiled at his inquisitive daughter, "He offered me a job teaching Defense this year." He said.

* * *

 **Woo! So, yes, I started a new story, but I actually have had this one rattling around in my head longer than Pink and Blue, one of my other, older stories- and I had to start it for fear I might forget it. I really love the plot, and I have several chapters hashed out and ready to be edited and go- But this will be updated by popularity, as in- the more attention it has the faster I update it. I have other stories to work on, so this is how I plan to prioritize. For those of you who read the whole author's note- Bless you.**

 **Thank you all for reading! Be sure to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed like everything they own was shrank down into the four trunks before him, and he had to scold himself for packing so much more than his teen-aged daughter, even if it was justifiable items such as books. He only wished to be prepared for the assignment ahead of him- to be a good teacher. It was a job he would have taken very seriously regardless- But there was something about teaching Marci that raised the stakes for him. He check his wristwatch once more before sitting down on one of the trunks for a rest. Marcelline had developed a habit of running a bit late now and then when they were on a deadline- One he had hoped for at least two years now she would outgrow. He sighed, exhaustion and nerves settling on his shoulders. It had only been two nights before that the full moon had taken its toll on him- But because of the September First school start, he hadn't the time for rest.

"Marcelline!" He called through the open front door next to his perch upon the trunk.

"I promise!" She called, referring to her earlier statement of being 'almost ready to go.' Remus shook his head and looked again at the watch.

"Marci, if the Knight Bus comes and you aren't down here, I will leave you here!" He knew his idle threat would only make her laugh, as they both knew he'd never do such a thing. But he'd called for the bus to be there in exactly two minutes time, and the young witch was cutting it close.

"That will not be necessary." She said with a huff. "I told you that I'd be down here." She plopped herself next to him on the trunk.

"You had a few seconds to spare." He growled, and just as he said so, a Knight Bus whipped into the small driveway beside their garden. "See?"

"I won. You worry too much." She scolded as she rose from the trunk and the gruff looking older gentlemen that had exited the bus stepped down and began to load their belongings. Remus paid their fare and lead her up onto the second deck of the triple floored bus, and he stretched out in an armchair that was bolted to the floor in the corner.

"Did you finish all your summer readings?" He ask, opening one eye to peer at Marcelline, who was laying upside down on a bed across the bus.

"Of course. Like, the first week of August." She replied offendedly.

"And you remembered all your assignments?" He ask, closing the open eye. Marcelline snorted.

"You checked them personally, Dad." She reminded him.

"And do you know when I will stop going over all these things?" He ask with a grin, humored at her annoyance.

"Let me guess. 'When I throw the dirt in on your cold casket?', perhaps?" She ask, repeating his old saying. He hummed in agreement.

"Very right." He said. "Don't ever forget that."

"I doubt being obliterated would make me forget, Dad." She replied. He seemed to have dozed off, and she smiled sadly. He was obviously hurting still, but he'd spent all their time getting her ready and seeing to her needs for the year. She hoped that teaching would be an easier job for him than the factories and warehouses he often took to support them.

* * *

"So is that not weird?" Grace ask, settling her cat out of his travel basket and into her lap. "Your dad, teaching?"

"I don't think so, no." Marcelline said with a shrug. "I mean, I have no idea. He's always been my teacher, hasn't he?"

"That is true." Grace's brother, Kent said. Kent was a second year, but a smart child. He was not in Gryffindor with Marci and Grace, but in Ravenclaw. Yet he and his sister were close, and he was a good friend of Marci's as well.

"I guess we'll see." Marci said, reaching over to pet Grace's cat. The large grey tabby purred and moved his head into her hand. "He was up all night making sure he was prepared." She lied, explaining why he was asleep three cars down.

"Well, Marci, it's not like if he forgot something he could simply pop home and get it." Kent said. This thought made since to the young girl, and she knew her father was a planner. Like the old story of the ants and the grasshopper preparing for winter.

"That is true," She agreed. "He's excited to start. I hope it works out all around."

The group fell into a silence as Kent started to organize his miniature models of magical creatures into groups. The models were animated, but not so that they behaved as their real-life counterparts. They were all about an inch tall, and behaved as toys should- friendly. Grace was filing her nails and Marci decided to read a bit more in her latest astronomy book. She had settled into the silence and was enjoying the book and its many unique illustrations of muggle obtained images through the 'Hubble' telescope, when Kent broke stillness in their cabin. "So, Marcelline- If you Dad is teaching Defense, do you know if he has any theories about Black's escape?"

"I eh-What?" The question caught her off guard.

"Think he means Sirius Black. Haven't you heard?" Grace seemed surprised. "Its all over the news, magic and muggle. Apparently the guy is some piece of work. Murdered several people, sat in Azkaban for twelve years and then escaped- Which..."

"Nobody has ever done before." Marci interrupted and finished. "Yeah, I heard. Just choosing to ignore it- There is always something awful in the news." She lied, trying to cover up her nerves.

"Not like this." Kent said. "Apparently he killed some guy with a spell that is yet unknown, but it destroyed the bloke. Left a finger!" Grace looked sideways at her brother and his odd interest in the story.

"Anyway- I'm really surprised you don't know all about it- Your dad is always so super protective I figured he'd have you on a hard core lock-down." Grace said, her surprise, or possible slight suspicion growing in her voice.

"Well I mean I haven't gone anywhere this summer, as per usual outside of ballet and piano." She replied. A laugh two voiced laugh sounded from the other side of the thin sliding glass door.

"Marci, darling, are you not feed up with pretending to be such a good child?" George Weasley ask, and he and his twin brother, Fred entered the compartment. Both of them were grinning ear to ear.

"I have to keep up appearances, you know." Marci defended. "If I don't keep up the facade that I'm the golden child, you two will be without your mastermind. And without me- Let's face it, boys. You're not nearly as effective."

"She has a point. I mean the things she comes up with- Gluing the enchanted google eyes to all the suit of armor so that the little black part follow you when you walked by was hysterical." Kent said. Fred snorted.

"Pfft. Sure, boss. Whatever you say." Marci smiled at the older boys- She'd been goo friends with them since they caught her turning all of McGonagall's hats pink her first year. They had been thrilled by her, as they called it, 'mischievous genius' and they'd been a team ever since. She still had not been caught for the hat crime.

"We just happened to hear a frightful rumor-" George said.

"Dreadful, really." Fred nodded. Marci had to roll her eyes.

"What now?" She said in a huff.

"Is your _dad_ teaching this year?" Fred demanded.

"Because that is a huge damper on our plans." Fred added. Marci smiled, in a sort of way Grace knew was trouble when these two were around.

"He is, and you are wrong." She grinned. "See, the way I figure it- I plan bigger, but more careful. We have the map, so anytime there is a danger of us getting caught you two split and I'll play the 'wrong place wrong time' card, with the theatrical 'I'd never do such a thing! Ask my dad! How stupid do you think I'd be?' thrown in." The twins both offered her a 'Wicked' in reply to her plan.

"Well, aren't you three... Insane." Grace said with an amused snort.

"No." The trio said in unison. All of a sudden the lights on the train began to flicker. Grace looked up and over to where Fred and George had settled on either side of Marci.

"Don't look at me." She said defensively, as the train slowed to a haul. She raised a hand as if to swear. "Amuse, never abuse."

"Someone is boarding." Kent said, nodding out the window through the thick fog. "Look there."

Sure enough, the train had stopped ass it had rounded a bend and the group could see the front of the train from their cabin. There were several hooded figures up toward the engine. Marci shivered and the whole group gasp when the lights suddenly cut to total darkness. Marci suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to run for the cabin she knew her father was in, but found herself too worried to move. An arm slid around her and she felt George pull her closer in the darkness as she shivered. The air about them got colder by the second until their breaths were visible. Creaking and moaning of the windows as they iced over made Marcelline snap out of her fear induced trance. "Nobody say a word." She said as quietly as possibly done, as she reached into her school robe and drew her wand.

There was an odd silence about the train, Marcelline thought. Surely someone would be fool enough to investigate. Harry Potter, most likely, she thought. It was always him. But there was no one moving. Then suddenly, a shadow appeared in their frosted over doorway. Once again, Marci felt herself being pulled by George, this time be more behind where he was, as he was closer to the door. The nob turned and it seemed like everyone in the cabin held their breath, but before whoever was on the other side was able to open it up, a bright light came forcefully down the darkened mid-walk of the train, chasing the new passengers away. They fled so smoothly it was as if they had no feet- And Marci realized what had just happened.

"Dementors. Dad did mention they'd be out posted about because of the escape." She said, relaxing as the lights came on. The door to their cabin swung open suddenly and Kent made a small squeak in surprise.

"Marcelline- You alright? All of you?" Remus ask, his face a bit pale. Marci nodded.

"Fine, dad. Thanks." She smiled. Remus looked George over and snorted.

"Hands to yourself, son." He barked, and George jerked his arm away from Marci where he had wrapped it around her.

"Sorry sir. Got a bit scared, sir." He said nervously. Remus shook his head.

"Needed a girl a year younger to look after you, Mr. Weasley?" Remus ask, keeping his voice stern although inside he wanted to laugh. "I guess I have my work cut out for me with Fifth Year, huh?" He slid the door shut behind him and walked a few feet before laughing as he headed for the front of the train to speak to the driver, but he could hear Marci, Fred and the others picking on George as he went.

* * *

 **Shorter chapter, used it for character development. I want to thank all my readers for taking time to enjoy my story, and ask that you please review! Thanks!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Remus was realizing, three days into the school year- He had forgotten how the onslaught of smells could be at Hogwarts for someone with senses such as his own. His mother had taught him to put vapor rub just inside his nostrils when he came home on Christmas break his first year after he'd told her about it, and it had helped until he had gotten used to the new smells. He knew after a few weeks in his now adult werewolf body his nose would adjust to the singular smell of 'school' but for now he made a mental note to run to the village and grab some of the scent blocking run to wear.

Today was stressing him out for other reasons as well- First off, it was Wednesday, and therefore his first class teaching his daughter. It wasn't so much that teaching made him nervous, and he had found that standing before the class came naturally- It was the fact that he did not want his teen-aged daughter to turn into one of those girls who is embarrassed by their father. It was something that had set his heart full of dread since she was a tiny child. He'd heard the horror stories of rolling eyes, slamming doors, and the shouted phrase "I hate you!" that happened often in teen angst, and he couldn't bear the thought of it. She was, after all, all he had.

Fourth years were his second class of the day, about twenty minutes after sixth years filed out of the door. He reset the desks to where they'd been before and walked to the front of the room, waiting patiently. After a few moments, they began to wander in and take their seats. It was an old fascination of Remus', to see where and why people sat when given free choice. He noticed Marci right off, with two girls he already knew from having been her friends since her first year. They didn't seem to be paying him any more attention they than any others were; they sat in the second row on the left and took out their books, quills and ink, conversing and waiting for class to begin. Eventually the seats were filled and he tapped his wand on the blackboard in the front of the room.

"Good morning, Fourth Years. Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. From what I hear it's been over a year since you've received instruction on the subject, and I appear to have some catching up to do for you." There was a small giggle go through the class at the joke about their previous instructor, Lockhart. As a parent of a child under Lockhart's teaching he knew good and well how horrible he'd been.

"Now," He said, looking around the room at each student, assessing them; "I want you to know that usually in this class, lessons will be practical. You will be casting spells, and learning to do so properly. But before I can get to that, I need to know just how behind you lot are. So if you will please, take out a piece of parchment, no need to be fancy- Scrap will do. Write a minimum of three things you wish to learn from this class and pass them to the front of the room. I have an introductory lesson set up for afterward, so this will only take a moment."

Each student did as instructed, and to his surprise, many seemed to really think about what they wanted to learn. His other classes had been a mix, the sixth years being the most serious about it as they have their NEWTS next year, but this class seemed to care about it too. _Perhaps,_ Remus thought, _its because Sirius' escape has them all scared._ He signed inwardly at the thought and shook it off.

After he'd gathered all the papers together, he instructed the students to stand at the back of the classroom, and once again he effortlessly flicked his wand and the desks moved out of the way. As he had with the other students, he pulled out a vessel containing a boggart- This time in an old trunk. "Line up." He said calmly. The students did as they were told. The trunk rattled as if on cue.

"Can anyone make a guess as to what the creature hiding in Professor Burbage's trunk?" He inquired, pacing around it, nuding the luggage lightly with his foot to further irritate the creature. "Grace?"

The young woman looked baffled at first, but shook her head and spoke. "Er- A boggart?" She hazarded for her guess. "I mean, everyone said you were starting off the year with one, plus they hide in dark spaces. My brother had one in his toybox once." Remus fought back the annoyance at her answer and continued on.

"Correct. And can anyone elaborate on what a boggart is?" He nodded to a Hufflepuff young man who had his hand raised.

"They're morphers. Well- sort of I suppose. They change to scare people." He explained.

"Very good!" Remus said, gesturing for the young man to state his name.

"Justin."

"Justin! Excellent. Step forward, would you please?" He ask, and Justin nodded and dad as he was told, stepping from his place in the middle of the line, and the other students all peaked around and moved out of order to watch. Remus brought the boy forward and spoke in a low voice to only him. "Ready?" He ask. Justin grinned and nodded.

"Definatly." Justin agreed.

"Remember. Speak it just like I said. _Riddikulus."_ Justin nodded as Remus moved his hand before the locked trunk and the lid swung open. There was at first a swirl of fog, and then the Bloody Barron, or what appeared to be the Barron. He gave a mad laugh and swooped forward, but Justin stood his ground and held his wand up.

"Riddikulus!" He shouted, and the Barron's normally booming, threatening voice was suddenly a high, helium induced squeal, and his shrill giggle shocked even the boggart, as the students all cackled and shouted, and the boggart-Barren covered his mouth with both hands.

Excellent!" Remus boomed over all the noise. "A boggart is a creature who feeds off fear. They need it. They are, quite literally, the boogyman that muggle children often speak of. Laughter is their weakness. Now please, fall back in line and wait your turn. Take something you fear and please, make us laugh." He bowed with an arm extended toward the Barron's baffled form, and the next girl stepped up.

As all the other students laughed and pushed for their turn. Marcelline backed away, trying hard to fade into the crowd in hopes that she could go unnoticed. She was not entirely sure what her greatest fear was anymore. But she knew that there was far too many secrets on the line for her to risk anything. Remus glanced over and watched his daughter stepping backward through his other students, and he knew she was probably right to not come forward. After all, he already knew she could face a boggart. And he was afraid of what her new greatest fear might be.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! Hope everyone is enjoying the story. Sorry its been a while, my husband was at the end of his semester and needed help. Summer time is more free time so I'll be updating everything more now. Be sure to review!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"You know, they say that the hauntings stopped for years- And started again this year. The screaming." Grace said, leaning against her friend as the walked down the end of the Hogsmade Village. The girls were not alone- Most of the third year students had made their way to the edge of the village, and many old groups as well. You could hear them all whispering stories about the Shack to one another.

"Oh, please." Marci snorted. "Surely you don't believe anything really happens there. It's probably just someone pranking." She sighed.

"OH, but there isn't." A fifth year Hufflepuff boy pipped up from behind them. "See, My Gran lives just over there." He pointed to a small cottage behind a stone fence. "Has my whole life- and most of her own. She said the Shack was always quiet- Empty. And when my Mum was in school- The screaming started. Gran said it was _inhuman._ Said folks around the village tried to find someone willing to go see- But no one ever would. They even talked about seeing if a Muggle Priest could come." The boy said.

"Woah." Grace said quietly. "How- Wow."

"Oh please. It's just some local colour." Marcelline snorted. "Grace- Really?"

"Well why not?" Grace ask, "The castle is crawling with ghosts!"

"Precisely! One of which murdered another! And yet no one fears being near them!" Marci reminded her- Thinking back to the Bloody Barron and Grey Lady.

"Well-" The boy repeated, leaning closer to Marci, one eyebrow raised, "What sort of ghost is only active on the full moon?"

Marci scoffed outwardly- But inside she was very much done with this conversation. She turned on her heels and headed back toward the bigger part of town- Half in mind to go find some ice cream. It took a moment before Grace caught up to her. "Greg didn't mean it, you know." She said, gesturing back toward the Hufflepuff fifth year who had joined another group of students. "He loves to tell stories."

"Didn't mean what?" Marcelline ask calmly, opening the door to the sweets shop.

"To annoy you." She replied.

"Why would I care if he did?" Marci ask again, turning to face her friend. Grace's cheeks burned bright red. Marci grinned. "Oh, My little Gracie- Do you fancy him?" She joked, shrugging her arm into her friend. Grace shook her head viciously.

"No!" She defended.

"You totally do!" She said, laughing. "Or you wouldn't care what I thought."

"Oh. Heads up." Grace said, nodding to the door where Fred and George Weasley had just entered with Lee Jordan.

"Marci!" All three exclaimed at once. "So very glad we found you." Lee added.

"Yes, see- We have something set up. A- Party of sorts." George said, laying a few knuts on the counter to pay for her treat as they ushered her away- only giving her long enough to shrug at Grace, who smiled and waved Marci off.

"Party?" She ask, following along as Lee and George walked at her sides, Fred in front of them, walking backwards.

"Well- among other things. We have a few of our products ready for testing. We just need somewhere to hold such an event." Fred explained.

"And I need to be a part of these shenanigans for what reason, remind me?" She ask, looking at all three boys.

"Actually- there are two reasons for that. Number one- We thought if we could use an empty classroom, say, the dueling room in the defense wing..." Lee trailed off.

"Then we could have someone a real bang opening. But we need a man on the inside- Or in this case- A Daddy's Girl." Fred ended the thought. Marci narrowed her eyes and shook her head. Somehow, she was not surprised that they wanted to use her for such a reason- But she was a bit surprised that it took them nearly a month into the school year to decide to act on it.

"Whats the other reason?" She ask, adjusting and crossing her arms over her chest. Lee and Fred both grinned over at George.

"We just enjoy your company, of course." Lee said, giggling with Fred. Marci shook her head again.

"I don't understand." She admitted. "My dad would never allow such a thing. Trust me, I never get to have parties. That will not change now." The twins exchanged a look that seemed to signal they were picking up on the young witch's annoyance.

"No, no. We don't want you to get him in on it. We want you to distract him." George said. "You know, make sure he doesn't happen down in that part of his wing."

"You could distract him better than any of our normal go to professor distractions." Lee said.

"Pretend to have a problem. Or maybe you need help with a school project." Fred offered. At this, Marci laughed out loud.

"You know this man has literally been through every grade I've ever gotten with me. I haven't ever gotten a bad grade in my life." She knew this sounded a bit cocky- but it was true. She wasn't allowed to do poorly on anything, not that her father was ever harsh with her; on the contrary, Remus simply pushed Marci to be good at everything and to make herself into a well rounded individual. He felt that her grades, and many extra activities such as five years of ballet and two extra languages would give her what he claimed was "the necessary skillset to overcome her parentage". Marci took this to mean he wanted to make sure she was so impressive on a resume that being a werewolf's daughter would not hold her back.

"Well- Can't you just make something up?" George pleaded, he grabbed one of her hands a tugged as he ask. "Please?"

"It's not like we will have another opportunity as good as this, again, like, ever!" Lee reminded her. "And besides, all the times you caused trouble with us before you knew they'd write to your dad if you got caught and that never stopped you before."

"Because she never gets caught, remember?" Fred reminded his friend.

"But my dad would know. He always knows." Marci informed them.

"Which is why you're our best bet." Fred said. "Come on, Marci. For us?!" He pulled Lee and George close and as if on cue all three boys batted their eyelashes and pouted their lips. Marcelline sighed heavily, a deep feeling of guilt sitting in the base of her stomach.

"Alright." She agreed, "But let me look at a calendar first and tell you when to plan it." She said. She hated herself for giving in, but really there was no harm in what they were planning, only that it violated some very minor school rules. She decided if she could get them to hold their party of an evening just after the full moon, she might be able to pull off what they ask of her.

* * *

"And you're sure that everything is set?" Lee ask, peaking around the door to the old dueling classroom as he started ushering students in. It was a Saturday afternoon, the day after the full moon, and Marci had just went to check up on her father and found him asleep.

"Sure, I'm sure she nodded, as she handed a box Fred had passed her over to George. "Should be completely clear all evening."

"Good." Fred nodded, watching other students as they started to come in. "Lee, you did remember to leave Granger and the 'Darling' Head Boy off the list, right?" He ask his twin, who nodded to confirm.

"Well, course I did, I'm not an idiot!" George called back. At this point, the room was beginning to get quite crowded. The three boys took the dueling stage and Lee held up a hand an shouted to get everyone to look up their way.

"Thank you all for coming to our little get together." Fred started.

"As you all know we, along with our very good mate, Lee, have long been in the business of mischief- But we have as of late decided to make _that_ business-" George started to explain.

"A business." Fred completed. "And as such, we need to show our loyal fans,"

"You lot, in other words," Lee added.

"Right, we need to have ourselves a showcase." George finished. "So if you will please, we have four stations. Each one has a few things we've been working on. Lee has one, right there." He pointed to the corner table, "I'll be here." He gestured to the far end of the dueling stage, "Fred will be at the table close to the door. And Marcelline will be on the other end of the stage."

"So without anymore chatting about," Lee clapped his hands, "Let's party."

Students scattered about and soon the room was so buzzed with activity that both Lee and Marcelline felt the need to add additional layering of silencing charms to the door. There was laughter and shouting all about, so loud that Marci almost felt her head might erupt. But it was great fun, a much needed getaway from walking the straight and narrow to avoid getting in trouble because her father was now at school and could catch her personally. Marci could escape at school without getting in trouble easily- She was either always too far in the background of commotion to be noticed or she'd learned how to talk so smoothly she never got in any real trouble. But such had never been the case at home. It was as if her father knew all her tricks ahead of her.

Marci was blowing bubbles which made rude noises of various bodily functions when the popped for a group of first years, who all jumped trying to get ahead of each other to pop the bubbles before each other. She had to admit they were a clever gag, and loads of fun for pretty much any age. From what Marci could see, everything they had out for students to try out seemed to be hilarious and very magically sound. She was just standing on her tiptoes to see what else the boys had out when the door slammed against the wall behind her, and the entire room feel into silence.

"What, exactly, is going on here?" Remus called, his voice booming and angry. He was leaned against the wall, and ghostly pale, but it was obvious this was not going to stop him from doing his job. None of the students said a word, but most turned to the Weasley twins, expecting them to answer the professor.

"Er-" The twins mumbled together, obviously trying to spin some sort of story.

"I will wait." He crossed his arms over his chest, scanning the crowd until his eyes locked with Marcelline, and she knew that out of everyone- She was officially in the most trouble, regardless.

"Well, sir. We thought we'd have an enter-house get together. Bit of fun with friends and what not. Can't mix houses in our common rooms of course." Fred said, hopping down from his position.

"Hmm." Remus growled, moving through the crowd of students, hands in his robe pockets. "And this mess?"

"Comes with the party, sir." George called. "Just some fun."

"Are any, or perhaps all of you aware that there is a curfew in place?" He shouted through the room. "That you are all due back in your common rooms long before now. And, need I remind you all _there is a murderous reason_ for the rule?" He looked over to where Ron Weasley stood with Harry Potter, then back to Marcelline. He continued to make his way through the crowd.

"We needed the distraction, sir." Lee defended. "The dementors make it a bit too serious. Oh, no pun intended." He said as several people in the crowd muffled giggles.

"Seems there is a good mix of our houses here. All four houses will loose three hundred points, each. I better not hear a peep about it or I will make it three hundred per person." Silence spread back through the crowd. He made it to the far side of the room, turned back to face all the students and scanned the crowd once more. "Dismissed. All of you, before I decide to add to the punishment."

Students swarmed for the door like insects from beneath a rock. No one dared talk as they spilled into the corridor and split for their separate common rooms. Marcelline shrugged herself thin as students pushed past her into the hall, until the last student was out. Remus walked over toward the door and paused, not giving her time to speak. "I said dismissed, Marcelline." He growled, and she looked down at her feet as she too hurried out of the classroom, trying her hardest not to cry. She'd never made her father so angry before, and it worried her.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading! Please leave some feedback for this little story, its sooo encouraging to the writing process.**

 **Thank you all so much again!**


	5. Chapter 5

Marcelline sat alone in the Common Room for what seemed the second week now, a few books open around her as she studied privately. She'd decided that since the party the boys had thrown she would go to class, meals and back to her spot in the Common Room. She could not get into extra trouble this way, sitting still, minding her own business. For the last couple nights though, she had discovered that wand lore could be quite fascinating, and despite having finished her two rolls of parchment on the science of wand making for Magical History, she continued to read about it. There was something to the way people mixed properties that she found to be far more interesting that she had ever imagined.

People around the world, Marci discovered, had different ideas about what made the best wand. Different woods, for example in different countries were favored; Magical creatures of different sorts were preferred over one another depending on the culture of the people and that people's relationship with said creature. She had even found a side note about a small South American tribe who had a larger population of semi-domestic werewolves, and often the children or the lycanthopes themselves used werewolf hair in their wands. Marcelline made a note to see if there was more information on this idea in their library, but she knew her chances were slim. Werewolves were, after all, still 'dark creatures' in the UK. She had flipped the page over to see if the foot note had anymore elaboration when George settled into the couch beside her, ruffling several of her notes.

"What class is that for?" He nodded toward the piles of notes scattered around.

"It's not." She said, not looking up from the paragraph she was scanning with her own wand. She finished the last sentence and flicked her wand at a blank sheet in a muggle-style composition notebook. The words appeared on the page in a soft script-style font that was very similar to Marcelline's own handwriting.

"Wicked! Show me how to do that?" George ask, impressed with the spell.

"Nope." She replied coolly, still reading.

"So your still mad at me?" He demanded, arms crossed. Marci still did not look up, so George took the book from her hands and laid it on the other side of him.

"Yes! Now give that back to me!" She growled back, spitting her words through her teeth. George shook his head, grinning.

"No no no. No way." George said, wagging a finger in her face. "You haven't talked to me in forever! Come on, Marci. It's not like this is the first time we've gotten in trouble..."

"It's the first time I have." She replied in a small voice. "Sure, I've had a few odd detentions here and there but I haven't ever done something my dad was informed about. I know McGonagall writes home on you two once a week. But not me." She curled her knees up under her. "My dad is furious. _Still_. Well- maybe not furious. But he just looks so... Disappointed." She sighed.

"Come on, you expect me to believe he thought you were a perfect little princess? Maybe you just tried to hard to have him fooled." He laughed, but Marcelline did not join him.

"I don't expect you to understand. I just expect you to respect that I don't want to talk to you, and am only doing so now to have my book returned." She held her hand out, and George reluctantly laid it in her palm. She gave a weak, mostly fake smile and opened back up to her page, once again ignoring his presence. After a moment he walked away. Marci could hear Fred heckling him on the other side of the Common Room about her, but she ignored it, shaking her head. She knew better than to give in to when he, Lee and Fred had ask, but she had anyway. She knew Remus felt betrayed by her timing and part in the party, even though he'd remained silent in the matter. She knew him well enough to know that the line had been crossed- He knew as well as she did it was planned around his change. She curled herself tighter, hating herself for ever agreeing to help in the first place.

* * *

"You have to let that poor child off the hook. Should have yesterday- I mean I cannot believe you'd really keep under such a tight leash, no pun intended of course- Given some of the things _you continue to get away with_ in the school!" Professor McGonagall scolded, pouring a cup of tea for her student-turned-colleague. Remus sat with his head slightly hung in shame.

"I haven't said a word to her." He said. "But I am very interested in how interested in my parenting you are." He remarked, earning a looked that filled him with instant regret for the comment.

"Mr. Lupin." She warned, adjusting her glasses and sipping at her still quite steaming tea. "I know that child very well. She has done every single thing you ask- Piano lessons, ballet, second language studies, all on top of being an absolute model student in class. But none of us found it to be any surprise after we had gotten used to the Weasley twins' antics that she was drawn in. She couldn't help it, after all." She had a fond sort of look about her as she blew at her teacup's edge.

"No, I suppose not." He agreed.

"Marcelline has no idea you were ever a troublemaker, does she?" McGonagall inquired. Remus shook his head.

"No. That is basically license for her to- But I suppose that it happened either way. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, is it?" He snorted in an amused sort of way.

"It's alright to need help with her you know..." McGonagall said, offering comfort. "Fourteen is an awkward age for any young witch. Difficult for the teen and parents."

"Marci isn't trouble. Really. I mean she's not set a toe out of line since their little party got busted." Remus insisted.

"Speaking of- Did you happen to take a look at any of the things you confiscated?" She ask, sitting forward, intrigued.

"I did, actually. You know they have quite the talent for both charms and potions, those boys. I'm sure Professor Flitwick agrees. Its a true shame they don't have anyone to really hone on those potions skills- But being self taught I'm nearly blown away with the things- successful little experiments, that they have. I can't imagine what they could do if they put their heads together on something useful." He smiled, thinking of the drawer full of their pranking products.

"Are they going to be returned anonymously to the boys with notes of how to improve?" She ask, her eyes smiling.

"It is possible." He admitted.

"I believe they have a spark in them to go far- and it is their passion. I've found several business plans in the things I've taken from them over the years. Could have Zonko's out of business in a flash if they truly set to it." She seemed quite proud of the young Gryffindors. But then, she smiled across her desk at the younger wizard. "I believe you and I both know your biggest problem with the entire thing is George Weasley's interest Marcelline."

Remus' face drained. He did, he hated it-what he could see in George Weasley. The way the young man look at his daughter. He shook his head.

"No- I just-"

"She has to grow up sometime, Remus. Surely you know that." She said softly.

"I'm not ready for that." He confessed, defeated. "Call me selfish if you wish, but she's my whole world and I just can't believe she's so grown up."

"Happens to them all, eventually. Sometimes it is my very least part of being a teacher- Seeing them go. But if I'm lucky, an odd few come back to me." She smiled in a motherly sort of way. She sat forward and gazed over her glasses at the younger wizard. "Tell her it's all alright before she develops an ulcer from the worry." She insisted.

* * *

Marci crept quietly into the infirmary, hoping to find Madam Pomfrey before anyone else came in. It was only six thirty in the morning, so she hoped no other students where up and about. Unfortunately, this morning the nurse-witch had a first year with a stomach ache. She stood back, pulling the hood she had up tighter around her face, squinting in the dim warning light behind the sunglasses she had on. Madam Pomfrey turned around and smiled kindly, pulling the privacy curtain around the young one she had just tucked back in.

"Miss Lupin." She greeted, moving across the room. "What can I do for you this early, early morning?"

"I, er-" She paused, gently got the older woman by the arm, and lead her to where she could pull another privacy curtain, then she took her hood down and brushed her hair back behind her ears, revealing a small amount of darkish fuzz on her upper ears. She then removed the glasses and blinked into the light, showing the nurse-witch her now nearly glowing yellow eyes. She smiled in a embarrassed sort of way- and revealing her last new symptom. Over night, along with the hair and eyes, her teeth had elongated. "Please help me."

"Oh, Marcelline." Madam Pomfrey breathed, a hand over her heart as she looked at the very much upset teen before her. "Did you show-"

"No! No, and you cannot tell him. I- I just need you to fix me. Please." She begged, and she could not help a tear sliding down her face. "Look- the only thing keeping him sane is the fact that I am not..." She gestured wildly, then her voice cracked. "What is happening to me?"

"Shh, shh. Sweet girl." Madam Pomfrey, pulled her in for a light hug, and she gently lead her to sit on the edge of one of the beds.

"But its not even a full moon!" She choked out, confused.

"Shh. Shh. I know." She said, stroking her hair. "Its not as bad as you think. But, really I cannot be the one to explain this to you- Because its not really a health issue. Stay here." She patted Marcelline's hand and left the room. It was only a hand full of moments, but Marcelline felt like she hadn't taken a breath from the time she'd been left alone.

McGonagall came into the area first- then Madam Pomfrey came right behind her, and charmed the curtain for silence. McGonagall looked thrilled, which confused Marcelline. She said nothing, but took Marci by the chin, and turned her head to examine what had happened. "Open." She commanded. She clicked her tongue at the teeth and popped some sort of plant in her mouth. "Make that comfortable, because you have to hold it for a month."

"What is it?" She ask, her words mangled behind the bitter leaf, which she unquestioningly tucked into her upper jaw.

"Its a mandrake leaf, it will help you gain control." McGonagall explained, shining the tip of her wand in Marcelline's eyes. Marci allowed the exam for a moment, but then squinted away and moved the Professor's wrist.

"What is happening?" She demanded.

"Oh, sweet child. You're- well we don't have a good term for you. Its rare, really. But like an animagus, you will be able to elect to transform, at will... Except unlike someone who decides to become an animag-, you were born with this. For this!" Once again, Marcelline shrunk away from her teacher.

"What?" She snapped again. "I'm sorry- I woke up this morning a side-show attraction and Merlin help me, _ma'am_ ," She narrowed her eyes, "It seems you're just thrilled." She gave a snort.

"I can see what you're upset." She took her wand back out from the sleeve of her long, emerald green dress. " _Northmanni_." She said, waving her wand in a sort of semicircle. Marcelline physically felt her teeth recede into her gums, and her eyes stung. She quickly put both hands over her ears to check- and they were once again hairless. "Better?"

"Thanks." She said, still a bit bitter. "But-"

"It will keep happening, yes. But eventually you _will_ control it. And it will be simply brilliant!" She clapped her hands together.

"But Professor-" She stammered, still thoroughly confused and completely upset. "Am I human?" Professor McGonagall's face softened, and she smiled.

"Yes, Miss Lupin. Very much so. And- Once you and I get a handle on that transformation and you can fully manifest into a wolf- which will be a fully, animal wolf. Not the hybrid you're thinking of- We'll get you on the animagus registry. No one will have to know a thing!" She smiled. Marcelline blinked at her for a moment, nodding her head around, still confused.

"Right." She said quietly.

"Come by this evening, after your classes are done for the day. I will get you started." She smiled again. "Please go have some breakfast. You look as though you may pass out."

Again, Marci nodded blankly, but she stood from the table and did as instructed. She did not understand what had just happened to her, nor where it had came from. Was this something she'd developed that had laid dormant in her DNA? She was so unsure, and really wanted to ask her father about it- But she knew that if she told him he'd loose his mind with guilt. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she entered the Great Hall for her morning meal.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope everyone enjoyed the update!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Remus wished he'd never even fought with his daughter. Still, weeks out, she was quiet. It was uncharacteristic of his Marci to not want to talk to him- He wondered if taking this job was worth it at all. Sure, there was the benefit of the pay it provided, and their savings account was actually adding up for the first time since her birth, rather than a close call or even break from paycheck to paycheck. Currently, Marcelline was in the corner of his office, study materials spread all the way around her. He couldn't tell what class it was for, but it had the child engrossed, and she was noting furiously from a couple different sources.

"Marci?" He interrupted her concentration, the only noise that had filled the room other than some low playing radio show he'd idly turned on before she'd came in.

"Dad?" she replied, matching his questioning tone. She finished her sentence in her notes and looked up.

"Anything particular you want for Christmas this year?" He ask. Marci shrugged.

"No." She said, picking up another text and flipping through the pages. Remus sighed. She didn't seem to really want to be in the office, but she was a more social creature than himself, and she was the only one of her roommates not going home for Christmas. He assumed she simply did not want to sit alone in her dorm, and he knew from experience there was no study-worthy silence to be found in Gryffindor tower.

"Nothing?" He pressed, laying his work aside. "Nothing at all?"

"No, not especially." She replied without looking up.

"What are you doing over there?" He finally questioned, growing impatient at her shortness with him.

"Just reading." She said, reaching over and flipping her notebook shut as he came over to look at what she had spread on the floor.

"Marcelline!" He scolded, and she finally looked up as he squatted down to be closer to her level. "What in Merlin's name has gotten into you?"

"Nothing!" She defended, obviously upset by being accused. Remus held his hand out, waiting for her to lay the notebook in his hand voluntarily. She shook her head and held it close. "It's just notes on wands." She promised.

"Wands." He repeated. She nodded.

"Wands. You know, how they work, how to make them. Wands." She answered. Remus narrowed his eyes, but he nodded and left her alone, retaking his seat. He'd seen 'LYCA' on the spine of one of her books, and he knew she was lying, but he decided to not risk alienating her further.

"So, is that for class?" He called from his desk.

"No, I just like it." She replied to this question honestly. She nearly jumped when the clock on the mantle sounded, the time for all students to be in Common Rooms. She quickly gathered her books and shoved them into her bag.

"Good night, little love." Remus called as she left the room. He heard her faint reply from the classroom as she walked through, and he sat forward, head in his hands. He didn't know what to do with her anymore. When she was younger, it was never hard for him to know what she needed or make her happy. But as she grew, it grew harder. He remembered his first Christmas with her.

 _She was only three months old when Christmas came, and in that time, Remus had just barely started to get used to what it took to care for a baby. But now, What do you do for a newborn for Christmas? Surely you don't worry about Father Christmas visits. There are very few toys you can get one so young. Even few funds to think with. His main cost lay with her formula, which came before anything else. But he wanted to have her a Christmas, photos for her to have when she was older._

 _He was sitting quietly by her bassinet when a gentle knock sounded at his door. Jumping slightly, as he had not expected any company. Wand drawn, he headed to the door and peeked through the peephole. Sirius stood on the other side, head low, waiting patiently before the door. He started to try and think of a security question, but it also occurred to him that he wouldn't have even gotten this close to their tiny flat had he not been told by Lily or James where it was or the ward on the door. It was a small humble place, a muggle apartment building, easy for Remus to magically secure on his own._

 _"What do you want?" He called gruffly, cringing at his own voice. It was dry, callous even, mostly from lack of sleep._

 _"To talk, I hoped." He replied, not looking up from his feet. "Lily told me how to get here. I can go though, if you want."_

 _Remus studied his face. He'd seen Sirius down plenty of times, but he looked terrible now. Slowly, he clicked the dead bolt on the door open and turned the knob, pulling it open slightly, for a face to face discussion._

 _Once the door was open, however, he could see a large bag of colorfully wrapped gifts and a small potted evergreen tree. Sirius swallowed thickly as he pulled the door open wider and nodded him inside, his items in tote. "I hope it was okay, I got Marci some things. Mostly clothes, and Lily told me to get lots of sizes since she'll grow so fast. I didn't know-"_

 _"Why?" Remus snapped, defensive. He'd not bothered to see them since she was born and their friends had her a small baby shower at Lily's flat. Sirius once more looked to the floor._

 _"Because I love her. And you." He said quietly. "And I hoped maybe, possibly, you'd consider forgiving me someday." He replied quietly. "And maybe even come home."_

 _"This is our home, thank you. It's not much, but its warm and dry, and my child is fed." He wanted to yell, to pick a true and proper fight, but he also didn't want to risk waking up his newborn._

 _"I didn't say anything about it, Rem. I said I missed you. I've wanted to make things up with you for nearly a year, but I didn't know what to do. I-" He stopped speaking, but was shaking all over. It was absolutely silent, but Remus knew he was crying. "I can't take it back." He said in a small, cracked voice, "And I shouldn't expect you to forgive me. But I also can't live with myself anymore. I fucked up. I did." He moved his hand at the tiny little tree he sat in the corner, which blossomed out in lights and decorations, and turned to the door. "Mostly I just wanted Marcelline to have a happy first Christmas." He looked up, knowing Remus was about to retort to him. "I know you can handle it. And Merlin knows that Lily and Prongs have her plenty. But I wanted to do something, too."_

 _He turned to walk away, but Remus caught his arm and stopped him. "You can come back when she's awake and see her, if you like. Help her open your gifts."_

 _Sirius' stormy grey eyes lit up at the suggestion. "So- I can come back?"_

 _"I'm not saying I fully forgive you. And what you did-" His nostrils flared. "I'm not coming back to you now. But yes, you can come see Marcelline." He said, arms crossed over his chest. Sirius looked as if he may burst into tears again, but on a happier note. The relief on his face was almost too much for Remus, who still felt so betrayed._

 _"Th-Thank you." He croaked, backing out the door. Remus shook his head and shut it behind him before going over to the bag Sirius had brought. He took them all out and counted; there were twenty-seven shining red, green and gold packages for Marci, and five with his name on them. He snorted and shook his head again, finishing placing them around the tree just as Marcelline woke up and let out a loud, hungry cry._

Remus realized he'd been staring at the door his daughter had walked out of for nearly half an hour, lost in different memories. He'd been so thankful for the presents Sirius had brought at the time, but looking back he knew he should have known better than to let him back in their lives. He'd just seemed to loving and genuine around them. And Marci had loved him in return. He rubbed his hands over his face before standing up to make his own way to bed.

* * *

Marcelline almost made it to the doorway to go into the stairway to the girl's dooms when she heard her name being called. She paused, a touch annoyed, but turned and smiled. "Harry?" She replied.

"I was just wondering- Could I maybe talk to you? For a moment?" He ask. Marcelline looked around. She didn't see any of Potter's usual gang around, nor any of her own.

"Sure." She nodded. She followed him over to a couch near a window and sat down. "What can I do for you?"

"I just-" He seemed to her a bit more awkward than usual, so she sat patiently. "Your father tells me you're my Godsister. Or, you know, were."

"I think technically I am still." She replied quietly. Harry sat still, like he was trying to think of something to say. "You don't have to feel obligated, Harry. It's fine."

"No! Please, it's not that." He exclaimed. "I just was thinking. Do you feel like you have the full picture? From when we were born?" At this, Marci seemed surprised. She didn't quite know what to say. She did know for sure she had more of the picture than Harry did, but at the same time, she did wonder.

"I, honestly, have no idea." She said finally. "I really don't. Why do you ask?"

"Because," Harry said, sitting forward, "I recently found out who _my_ Godfather is."

"Yeah. Sirius." She replied matter-of-factually, with a shrug.

"You knew that?" He sounded angry.

"I'm sorry," She quickly added. "You want to know what is missing? Ask my dad, not me. He's got quite a bit, and I'm still chipping away at things myself. But believe me," She sighed, "It'll take some convincing for him to tell you. The Ministry made sure he kept a distance from you, as did that horrible aunt of yours."

"The Ministry?" Harry seemed to be fuming now. "I don't understand. Why would they care-"

"Keep a secret for me, and I'll tell you why they wouldn't let you be around us. But when I say a secret, you cannot tell anyone, including my father, you know." She held her hand forward, and Harry shook it. She looked around the common room, then leaned close. Harry sat forward too. She whispered into his ear, and then sat up. She could see him thinking hard.

"Okay. So?" Harry ask. Marcelline smiled.

"They don't grant rights to those considered magical beasts. Especially not rights to the kid who saved our world." She answered.

"That's horrible." Harry replied. Marci shrugged.

"Yeah, it is. And we really need for him to keep this job so..." She moved her fingers over lips, mimicking a zipper. Harry nodded.

"Of course. I think he is just the best. I'd never say a word." He promised again. Marcelline smiled.

"You're a good one, Harry." She said, standing up to head to her dorm.

"Thanks for talking to me, Marci. Sorry it's weird." He laughed awkwardly. She snorted slightly at this, also humored.

"We can hang out sometimes, if you'd like. Get to know one another..." She offered. Harry grinned.

"I'd like that, thank you." She smiled again and bid him goodnight, before heading up to her dorm. She was glad for its emptiness, for once. Normally she was a lonely person, and did enjoy the company of her dormmates. But just now, she had the room to herself to practice. She sat on her bed, legs crossed, and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and thought on her journey so far.

Professor McGonagall was more than happy to keep helping her, and though she was still a bit shaky and couldn't always transform on command, she could at the very least command it enough to make the unwanted changes go away when they happened. She focused on her own heartbeat, the silence of the room, the soft sounds of falling snow outside the window she'd opened to help her concentrate. She breathed out and felt her body melt like ice to water, a fluid motion which felt almost too natural. When she opened her eyes and released her breath, she was on four paws on the floor.

Her heart nearly leapt into her heart. She'd done it on the first try this time. It had been weeks of practice, meditation, and horrible plants being stuffed in her jaw, she'd changed on the first try. She moved over to the mirror which hung between Amber and Grace's beds and turned around and around looking herself over.

She was mostly white, with grey down her back and tail. It was an admittedly unusual coloring. But she was happy. She jumped from bed to bed, happily pouncing all around before landing on her own bed, on her stomach, back as her normal self. She curled into the pillow a bit happier. She had promised Professor McGonagall she'd tell her father when she'd completely gotten the hang of transfiguring herself. And now she could.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Sorry its been such an insane long time since an update! Review?**


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